Overcoming critics when developing your business

When developing a business or coming up with a new idea, there will always be people that focus on the negative: they tell say you can’t do it, that something will go wrong and you’re too ambitious.

If everyone listened to these people who tell you it’s safer not to take risks, great achievements would never happen. Sometimes approaching critics can be frustrating and irritating; follow the tips below to overcome critics when developing your business:

Surround yourself with supporters
Supportive and creative people; people who believe in you and aren’t scared to follow their own dreams are the kinds of personalities you should surround yourself with. They will encourage you and will be there for you when you have concerns. When you face a setback, they won’t say ‘I told you so’ and they won’t add further stress, they will help you come up with a solution.

Don’t engage with them
If someone is only feeding you negative energy, don’t invest valuable time around them. This can be tricky if that person is a colleague, a loved one, or someone else you spend a considerable amount of time with. If you can’t ignore someone or spend less time with them, you can acknowledge what they are saying without disagreeing or getting into an argument. For example, if someone tells you that your idea is nothing new and won’t be successful, you can respond with ‘I appreciate your opinion and you may be right. But I’m still going to try.’ Then avoid bringing the conversation up with them again.

Keep your cool
Someone may be giving you their opinion; one that is uneducated, not grounded in facts or simply unhelpful. The worst thing you can do is lose your cool. Losing your cool is a quality of someone who can’t handle critique and who can’t step back and think of the bigger picture. One thing worse than someone thinking your business idea is not a very good one is them also thinking you are irrational.

Keep doing your research
When someone brings up an issue or concern about how successful or thought out your business idea is, don’t be too proud to brush up on your research. Markets and trends are always changing and there might be new data out there that you have not yet considered. Even if you do further research and find nothing new, at least you can reassure yourself that you have a sound business plan.